Today, our Special Response Team rescued 78 dogs, including 14 puppies, two of which were newborn, from a very sad hoarding situation in El Cajon, just 15 miles east of our main campus. Our team discovered these dogs living in horribly unsanitary conditions with dirt and feces piled up around them inside the house. Worse, most of the dogs never left the house. Once we saw how devastating this situation was, we responded quickly with medical examinations and transport to our San Diego Campus for triage and further medical care.

Fortunately, our veterinary team found the dogs were pretty well nourished, although many suffered from severe skin conditions with inflamed and raw skin, open lesions and covered with fleas. Surprisingly, the owner of these dogs seemed grateful for our help; it was clear he cared about the animals but he couldn’t keep up with their care. We see this type of situation often when well-intentioned animal lovers become overwhelmed with the immense number of animals in their home—78 animals are certainly an intense number.

Our goal at San Diego Humane Society is to end animal suffering, and we’re committed to helping all animals within our reach. Protecting animals is our mission and our Humane Officers are sworn in under oath in California to protect animals from cruelty and neglect. We never hesitate—these animals all deserve a second chance.

The wellbeing of these dogs is at the top of our priorities. They’re receiving additional medical care and evaluation before they will be available for adoption. After acclimating to their new environment, we’ll address each of their individual needs and get them into homes as soon as possible.

Stay informed on how the dogs are recovering by visiting our Facebook, website and #78dogs. In the meantime, thank you for your continued support. More than 30,000 animals will have the second chance at life because of you. At this time of year, we can’t help reflect on how truly thankful we are for your support. And I’m sure these 78 dogs would agree.

A very special thank you to Purina for providing the special nutritious food necessary to help these dogs through their recovery.